Incorporated February 2006
Mission Statement
The Texas Association for Bariatric Surgery exists to reduce the incidence and consequence of obesity in Texas through advocacy, education and prevention; to promote access to appropriate obesity treatments; to end obesity discrimination and bias; and to advance clinical excellence in the treatment of the patient with obesity.
The Texas Association for Bariatric Surgery (TABS) is a resource for weight loss surgery physicians, surgeons and patients. The TABS serves patients and the medical professionals who care for them through education, wellness and advocacy efforts. TABS physician and surgeon members share ideas in the education, prevention and treatment of obesity to improve patient outcomes, conduct patient education, promote healthy living and advocate for the rights of the obese.
Weight loss surgery patients are invited to join the effort by registering with TABS to receive updates and event notices, and to have your voices heard by legislators. Together we will work to improve and change the lives of the obese and weight loss surgery patients across Texas.
©2010 Texas Association for Bariatric Surgery All rights reserved.
Executive Officers
President: Benjamin Clapp, MD FASMBS
Vice President: Open
Secretary: Tanyaradzwa Kajese, MD FASMBS
Treasurer: Monique Hassan, MD MBA FACS DABOM FASMBS
Past Presidents: Sina Matin, MD FACS (2020-2022); Robert O. Carpenter, MD MPH FASMBS (2018-2020); Michael V. Seger, MD FACS FASMBS (2016-2018); Richard Peterson, MD MPH FACS FASMBS (2014-2016); Glen M. Ihde, MD (2012-2014); Joseph Kuhn, MD (2010-2012); Erik B. Wilson, MD FASMBS (2008-2010); Lloyd H. Stegemann, MD FASMBS (2005-2008)
Integrated Health President: Connie Klein, NPC CBN
Integrated Health Vice President: Kaci Rosipal, PA-C MPAS
Integrated Health Secretary: Open
Integrated Health Past Presidents: John Archibeque, MSN MBA CBSGL RN CBN; Carol Wolin, MA RD LD; Sharla Stroup, RN CBN CNOR; Renee O’Daniel, RN MSN; Cyndi Inkpen, DHA MPA MA CBSGL; Connie Klein, NP CBN
STAR (State Access to Care Representative): Tony Primomo, MD
Lower Midwest Regional Super STAR: Robert O. Carpenter, MD MPH FASMBS
Board Members
TBD (Western)
Kulvinder Bajwa, MD FASMBS (Coastal)
Sachin Kukreja, MD FASMBS (Northeast)
Samer Mattar (South Central)
TBD (North Central)
Folahan Ayoola, MD FASMBS (Member at Large)
Colleen Kennedy, MD MBA FASMBS (Member at Large)
Kristopher Knoop, MD (Member at Large)
Tamika Scott, DNP APRN- BC FNP-C (Integrated Health Member at Large)
Megan Tomczyszyn, MS RD LD CPT RYT (Integrated Health Member at Large)
Kristen Barnes, RN BSN ADN BA-SOCIOLOGY (Integrated Health Member at Large)
Andrea Collins, BSN RN CBN (Integrated Health Member at Large)
Executive Director
Carrie Steffen, Chapter Administrator
4655 Rockcress Ct.
Zionsville, IN 46077
678-675-2696
info@txtabs.org
Chapter Meetings
TABS 2024 Annual Meeting in San Antonio February 2-3
Chapter Updates
Fairly rapidly after the 2019 annual meeting, the COVID pandemic started. We updated our website with links to state health office information and the Governor’s office for COVID-19 information. Members initiated a message trend to communicate real time regarding resources, surgery restrictions, support for those fallen ill and those facing difficult times. Members have real time communications and have weekly discussions. This helped with camaraderie during these difficult times. We have had quarterly executive meetings to manage the chapter and membership through the year and specially, plan for next year.
We also discussed new onset cardiac arrhythmias post bariatric surgery in light of Dr. Clapp’s article accepted by JSLS.
We are working on quarterly virtual meetings and possibly a contingency virtual annual meeting.
In El Paso for November 2020 and likely most of December 2020 they are not able to do bariatrics due to COVID.
The Texas State Chapter (TABS) continues to expand the level of service, advocacy, and innovative educational opportunities offered to its members as well as their patients.
Our annual meeting in February featured the return of ASMBS President Dr. Eric DeMaria who delivered an inspirational presentation on the challenges of comprehensive revisional bariatric surgery as well as our key note address with a panel on promoting diversity/inclusion within obesity care. Dr. DeMaria also helped moderate our annual young investigators forum which yet again provided exposure for six trainees ranging from medical students, residents, and fellows from around the country to opportunities for taking the next step in their careers. Our Texas Integrated Health executive counsel delivered an exceptional program featuring national ASMBS IH president Karen Flanders, the largest Certified Bariatric Nurse review course we have hosted to date, and an innovative IH morning breakout session. Our chapter president Dr. Rob Carpenter partnered with ASMBS leadership to establish a national plan for all state chapters to offer specialized CME credit that will meet state-specific licensing requirements. Through that process, we were able to once again provide members an hour of state-level ethics CME focusing on the legal complexities of the informed consent process at a part of a comprehensive risk management policy.
Based upon feedback during our executive counsel debriefing, TABS is piloting an effort to facilitate educational opportunities locally for a diverse membership and the patients they treat in practices across one of the largest geographic areas in the nation. We have helped provide financial sponsorship and educational planning/support for a new regional bariatric conference in south Texas. The PCP-oriented conference was held in the Rio Grande Valley on September 21, 2019 with Vice President Dr. Sina Matin presenting on behalf of TABS.
Our chapter continues to promote access to care at the local, regional, and national levels. Efforts to address access issues facing Texans with private payer and CMS insurance are led by Texas STAR Dr. Tanya Kajese and Lower Midwest Regional SuperSTAR Dr. Rob Carpenter. These activities resulted in reversal of a discriminatory practice limiting access to care for medicare patients in north Texas. Additionally, we successfully promoted an expansion of coverage for specific managed medicare patients in central Texas with specific comorbidities at a BMI between 30-35.
Past-president and ASMBS Access to Care Committee Co-Chair Dr. Mickey Seger continues to lead obesity-care related legislative activities among Texas state legislators.
Dr. Rob Carpenter combined efforts with the Texas state chapters of the ACS at medical advocacy day during the 2019 legislature in Austin to promote obesity care initiatives as well as a school safety bill which was signed into law.
Our president applied for and received a grant from the ObesityPAC to advocate for the Treatment and Reduction of Obesity Act (TROA) among legislators on Capitol Hill this Fall.
- Texas State Chapter representation at the Your Weight Matters National Convention in San Antonio (President, Vice President, Super STAR, STAR, Past President, Allied Health Secretary and Allied Health Past President).
October 25, 2014 – Patient Conference
Support Groups
http://txtabs.org/support.html